Kendall’s sweeping debut historical novel chronicles the dangers of early-20th-century U.S. imperialism in Asia.

It’s 1926, and China is in a precarious state, with Chiang Kai-shek fighting various warlords for the future of the country. The setting, Hankow, sits at the junction of the Yangtze and Han Rivers: It’s a vibrant mix of American, British, Japanese, and of course Chinese people. Young Marine 2nd Lt. Jack Gaines is part of a collaborative Marine/Navy force detailed to the gunboat USS Patuxent to protect American interests in the area. In due course he meets a journalist and avowed socialist named Natalya “Natty” Rosenberg, and sparks fly. The book has the requisite shady characters, including the cynical and sarcastic Giles Spencer and the suave but truly evil Japanese power broker, Tanaka; there’s also Natty’s semi-estranged older sister, Tatiana (“Tanya”). Despite their age difference, it’s hard not to think of Tanya as Natty’s “evil twin.” The Rosenbergs were a very prosperous family in Moscow but had to flee after the Bolshevik Revolution. Natty threw her lot in with the socialists, while Tanya kept to her own affairs. Intrigue is the order of the day in this novel, not so much the obvious fighting between the forces of Chiang and the warlords but rather the machinations of players like Tanaka, champion of Japan’s nefarious long-range plans called the Black Ocean Society, and Chinese gangs. The climax is precipitated when Natty and her friend Michelle are abducted and Lt. Gaines and his valiant band are sent to rescue them. This is an impressive debut novel, and as a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel with extensive experience in Asia, Kendall is certainly up for the task. His book is bolstered with ample explanatory historical commentary, a bibliography, and glossary. The writing is more than adequate for a genre that invites cliches, and the plot has some clever and grisly twists. Those who remember Richard McKenna’s 1962 novel or the 1966 film The Sand Pebbles will feel right at home here.

An impressive debut from a writer who effortlessly combines brisk pacing with historical accuracy.